All Things Dog Blog

Showing posts with label working dogs. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

A Tribute to Dogs That Serve

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Occasionally I have to spout off about my sponsors when pride is bursting. I love that
in addition to their dedication to helping military dogs, Natural Balance and the Petco Foundation have joined forces to help raise needed funds for dogs that serve others--Guide Dogs, Service Dogs and Therapy animals. They have been working together for 5 years and have raised nearly $5 million to support guide dog programs and service dog awareness.

No one could be more proud of this than I am, with a Medical Alert Dog in the household. I learned how expensive it is to train these talented animals, and know the value of their service first hand. And pssst....that's not Tanner up there in the picture :) My Medical Alert Dog is Oliver, a diminutive 10-pound Papillon.

From many knowing individuals including my own physician, I have learned that different

breeds often have very different natural abilities. Companion dogs such as what we typically call Toy dogs, are often more tuned in to their particular human's smell. That turned out to be Oliver's talent that began building his ability to alert me to oncoming problems with my Multiple Sclerosis. Getting a heads up before a dizzy spell, especially when I'm alone or driving, is a huge relief of worry and safety issues.

But Service and Therapy dogs can do so much more than alert. They rescue, stabilize, calm, and physically assist their owners, to name just a few of their amazing skills. Those of us who have service dogs are thankful to companies like Natural Balance and Petco for their support of programs that help in this way.

Through October 20, you can help to support these programs also. At 1200+ Petco stores across the country, the Helping Heroes program is giving you three wonderful ways to pitch in without pinching your budget:

Purchase a bag of L.I.D. Legume and Duck Formula Dog Food and Natural Balance will

courtesy Natural Balance

donate $1 to the Helping Heroes fund. This is a grain free food with fewer ingredients, especially important to those dogs who may be battling allergies.
At the Petco checkout, you can also simply round up your purchase to the nearest dollar to make a small donation, or ask to donate $1, $5, $10 or $20. You pick! Click here to locate a store near you.
Want to really make a difference? You can head on over to the donation page and use your credit card to supercharge the Helping Heroes program budget. Every little bit helps; thanks for your support!

Want a little help with that purchase at Petco? Click on the ad at the top of this posts column and you'll receive valuable coupons to help pay you back for some of your donation. Thanks again!
As an NB Insider, I am sometimes privy to information about their activities such as that above. I am compensated for sharing this by receiving food for my 4 pets and sponsored travel to industry events.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Dog Treats #WorkLikeaDog with Zukes

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Our house training series has been but a prelude to our next Twitter Party: #WorkLikeaDog. Today I'm here to announce the opening of our pre-party events leading up to the big day when we give away $1500 in great Zuke's treats and other prizes, to include a Grand Prize valued at approximately $250. Mark your calendars; this is not an event to miss.

Pre-Party Activities include Giveaways:

Start with the RSVP at the bottom of this post. Once you're on this list you'll be

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Pre Party Prize Packages
Worthy of Hard Work!

eligible to win one of our prize packages (seen at right) that will include 8 bags of Zuke's treats and lots of other fun stuff. The winner will be drawn early on June 11 and announced at the party. To assure your name is included when the drawing is done, go ahead and RSVP today.
PreTweet to win: This is one of our most popular entry methods. You get to share this fun event with friends on Twitter. Watch for some easy, one-click Tweets you can send easily.
Rafflecopter fun! We've built in some great extras to this Rafflecopter that you're sure to enjoy. Join us Wednesday evening, May 15 to learn how you can share pics of your hard-working dog via Instagram, Pinterest, email or Twitter. Yes, you can even begin to experiment with Vine and show us your hard worker in action; we can't wait! We'll be sharing these fun photos of your dogs throughout the party as well as on other social media like Pinterest. Check out our #WorkLikeaDog Pinterest board.

Party Activities:

With dogs all over the country preparing to go to work with mom or dad on June 21, Zuke's and Event Barkers want to help them prepare. We'll be sharing training tips throughout the Twitter Party that are designed to help you and your Fido enjoy the day spent at your workplace.

Photos of your dogs submitted via our Rafflecopter will be shared throughout the party, showing off your hard-working dogs. Whether your dog is a Service Dog or simply in charge of kitchen patrol at your home, you can submit a photo of him doing his job, or even try out a 6-second Vine Video. You'll find instructions for this at my post here. Have fun with these entries; use your imagination and be sure to read the guidelines that will be included in my Rafflecopter post on Wednesday.

Get the anipal angle from Oliver, over at 5 Minutes for Fido, who is busy complaining about Tanner's lack of business savvy. Can you help him out?

Participation Guidelines:

Winners' announcements will begin immediately upon opening of the Twitter Party at 8:30 PM ET on Tuesday, June 11, so don't be late! Every 10 minutes thereafter, winners will continue to be announced until the Grand Prize winner is announced at the closing of the party--10 PM ET. Stick around to make sure you don't miss your shout out!

RSVP's will remain open throughout the entire party, so that everyone can join in to win or just to have fun and get some great training tips.
The RSVP winner will be drawn on Tuesday morning, June 11. This winner's handle will be announced at the party.

As an aside, it is very important that you understand that our Zuke's winners may only be at U.S. addresses. This is simply due to customs issues with shipping food items over the border. We encourage people from all over the world to participate in these activities; however, prizes may only go to U.S. residents.

RSVP Instructions:

Following is an example to enter the RSVP form below. Below the numbered list at the bottom is a blue link that says "Click here to enter". Click this and follow these instructions, using the image below as a guide.

In the first field that says "Link Title or Blog Title" just enter your Twitter handle as shown in the example. Notice I entered @EventBarkers. In the second field that says "Link" you'll enter the link to your Twitter account. It will look like this: "http://twitter.com/yourhandlehere".

You can leave your email address and name in the next two fields, if you wish. This will help us reach you if your Twitter handle is listed wrong and you win a prize. Now click "Enter your link" and that's it. You have completed your RSVP. Don't forget to follow our sponsor and host handles listed above to make sure you can win prizes at the party.

Check out our training tips at the following articles:

Event Barkers is working with Zuke's to increase their online presence through this Twitter Party event that will include some pre-party exposure as well. Enjoy!

Monday, December 27, 2010

ASK THE DOG TRAINER, with Terry Lynn Cuyler: Selecting a Train-it-Yourself Assistance Dog

by Terry Lynn Cuyler, APDT, CPDT-KA

Dear Terry:

I was on a waiting list for 5 years, and with so many problems I have to train my own assistance dog. I need a mobilty dog for the biggest part because I have a depth perception problem because of medications , and with lupus, fibromyalgia, hypoglycemia, seizures, and Rheumatoid Arthritis, there is so much to train for.

I haven't started yet. I probably won't get a dog until I find the right one. Hubby is gonna have to help me train, because I don't have much energy. There are many shelter dogs, especially large breeds here in Northern Europe. What do I look for? A puppy is best, I know, but I have seen dogs from 6 weeks to 14 years at the shelters. I have looked into Antesion dogs, and different mountian dogs (Bernese, Swiss, Danish), and mixed breeds too. For me, it's the one that touches my heart.

What is one of the first things I should look for? Temperament, or willingness to serve or getting a 6 week old and hope for the best?

Thanks, Niki

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Dear Niki,
You are so right that the best one is the one that clicks with you. I look for temperament and that includes a willingness to serve, or you may be referring to a keep-working ethic, but there has to be a connection between you and the dog.

You can help build that bond by using positive reinforcement to teach skills you need. Even in traditional training organizations where they train the dogs first, and then bring in the potential human partners, they find certain dogs bond with certain people. You need a dog who is physically capable of doing the work you require, so it does need to be substantial in size, and then you need a list of the things you absolutely must have it do--prop you up if you start to fall, retrieve something you dropped, guide you to the edge of the curb, etc.

Karen Pryor, who helped solidify clicker training, as the most efficient way to train a dog for a specific behavior, offers a 4 DVD How-to set. to help owner trainers such as yourself. You can find additional assistance on skills at at the International Association for Assistance Dog Partners.

For you, I don’t recommend a puppy because puppies are difficult enough for anyone without the illnesses you mentioned. And you CAN absolutely train a mature dog, though they don’t soak it up quite as fast. You do want a self-confident dog, not a fearful one. As for some of the specific skills, equipment and trainers see the Delta Society's webpage.
I hope this has helped you in your search, and that you will keep us advised of your progress. Best of luck!

Terry, The Paws Prof

Our ASK THE DOG TRAINER Column can be reached at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com

For more information on Terry Lynn Cuyler and her training, you may find her at Paws Prof.

A personal appointment with a trainer will likely provide more specific information on your dog's issues and your questions.

The PawsProf's advice does not replace an actual consultation with a qualified trainer.

Related Reading:
Ask the Dog Trainer, with Terry Lynn Cuyler: Clicker Training Pros and Cons
Don't miss the Clicker Success Stories video coming 12/18/10